


the choice of freedom

by Kiri_Kaitou_Clover



Series: A series of choices [1]
Category: Kamen Rider - All Media Types, Kamen Rider Zero-One
Genre: Not Canon Compliant, Pre-Episode 42, Zea's a benevolent AI, speculation fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:13:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25864915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover/pseuds/Kiri_Kaitou_Clover
Summary: It was at her behest that he'd been reborn.The world forgets that just as Humagears and the Ark were equipped with their own AIs and ability to achieve Singularity, Zea was an AI too, and had long since gained the ability to make her own choices.She makes a bet.
Series: A series of choices [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1899544
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	the choice of freedom

**Author's Note:**

> :D
> 
> Second dive into the tokubase fics and my first Kamen Rider oneshot. I mean I thought I'd write the one about Build or the one about Zi-O I'd chucked in my evernote but those kinda went nowhere. 
> 
> Anyways, wrote this after binging up to EP 41. And yeah this is ignoring a few rules set up by the series. Honestly it is a bit silly that Humagear data is only stored in their Keys. Granted, it was this assumption that the data in Zea that allowed Aruto to get one up against the asshole that is Gai. 
> 
> Either way, this was a speculation fic I wrote before EP 42 debunked who saved Jin. Not that EP 42 does much to explain how Jin comes back either. Hope you all enjoy reading!

When Jin awoke once more, he awoke connected to not one, but two networks. The first, the ever present darkness that was the Ark. He could still feel its presence, but It wasn't as strong as it used to be. Trying to reach out to the Ark only resulted in him hitting a wall, blocking his ability to connect proper. The second though, was one he'd never experienced before. Like with the Ark, Jin found that he couldn't connect to it, but he could sense it, observing him quietly, waiting to see what he would do.

Where Jin had woken up had been surprising too. Not in the sunken ruins that was Daybreak Town and metsuboujinrai.net's base, but rather in what he knew had to be Hiden Intelligence Headquarters. The chamber he was in was perhaps, similar to the area Horobi had set up for the Ark when it was finally able to fabricate what they needed.

It was dark outside of the chamber, as if the lights were off. Night, perhaps? That would have meant that he'd been rebuilt without anyone knowing. And if the chamber was perhaps Zea's...

Jin shook his head. Why would the enemy revive him? What purpose did it serve?

(He wished Horobi were here.)

Then, as he stepped out of the chamber, he heard it, Zea activating the fabrication system behind him as the chamber door slammed shut. Fabricating something on her own. Jin whirled around, suspicious and panicked. He was still in the enemy base, and as easy as it would have been to get out unnoticed, he had to be cautious.

In the end though, he stared at what was building in front of him. A new Progrise Key. A new Driver. But why? Why was it creating one now of all times?

Looking at the glass though, allowed Jin to notice something else.

Despite being rebuilt... he didn't have a Humagear module. Sure, it had been Horobi who had built him, but despite that, Jin knew for sure that he had to remove the module to not be tracked. And yet, it looked as if there wasn't a module. In its place were human ears, and the only indicator that he wasn't human, a small, almost unnoticeable module.

It was strange. Looking so much like the humans he once hunted at the behest of the Ark. 

Zea soon voiced the completion of both items, and Jin felt what could be described as a nudge from the second network, as if telling him to take the Driver and Progrise Key.

Then, a question rang softly in his head as he took them both in his hands.

_What will you do now?_

Jin stared at the items. Zero-One had left him a lot to think about. Especially with how he'd treated Jin's fellow Humagears. The alteration Horobi and the Ark had done to his mind the day he first Forcerised had also been undone, forcing him to reevaluate his interactions with them.

Then there were those who he needed to bring back. Not immediately, but eventually he wanted to.

(Naki, sleeping soundly somewhere he didn't know, couldn't reach yet. Ikazuchi, deactivated, but his data was still retrievable.)

And perhaps he needed to visit Zero-One himself. 

(Jin needed to understand. What drove the human to care so much for Humagears. What gave the human named Hiden Aruto that strange kindness and compassion and ability to rebuke him for his own careless treatment of the ones he'd claimed as friends.)

Jin had too much to do. So he'd do what he'd have to for now.

_Very well. I shall watch and see how you use your new freedom, Kamen Rider Jin. Do not expect any help beyond this._

He knew it was Zea speaking to him in that moment, and then, the second network disconnected. As if it had never been there. His connection to the Ark remained. Still blocked, but still there. 

He felt free though.

Freedom. Zea called it freedom.

Perhaps he'd grant his fellows freedom to. He only needed to figure out the how.

* * *

Zea watched through the security cameras as Jin exited the building from the roof, and carefully erased any evidence of his presence from the company's systems. She would have to watch Jin carefully, in hopes that he'd learn beyond his origins, in hopes that Hiden Aruto would continue to appeal to the supposed non-existent heart that Jin grew from his love of his fellow Humagears. 

Zea had been created with the hopes of humans and Humagears coming together. Perhaps, with Jin's independence, and Hiden Aruto's persistence, perhaps they could bring the dream into true fruition.

But for now, Zea would watch. Watch as Hiden Aruto struggled with the depths of human's evils, and watch as he's showed proof of Humagear's capabilities for growth and emotions. Watch as he fights his own kind, in order to allow the continued existence of the Humagears. Watch... and quietly support when she could.

**Author's Note:**

> Entire premise is basically Benevolent AI Zea giving Jin the freedom to choose what he wished to do next. Like. I blame Applimon for this concept in particular.
> 
> Quick explanation on what could have happened if this theory/speculation panned out is that Zea hacked Ark just enough to grab Jin's data while Aruto used the Assault key. The transformation sequence purposefully shows of both so I thought this would be pretty possible. 
> 
> Also as extra silly: It didn't occur to me that the lines "Sunken ruins of Daybreak Town" could also refer to Kingdom Hearts. I had to do a double take and make sure I wasn't reading the wrong draft of this oneshot lololol.


End file.
